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BIKETOWN Expands Further East, Lowers and Simplifies Pricing

BIKETOWN service area to soon include eastside Portland neighborhoods along the 50s BikewaY

After successful pilot, annual BIKETOWN members will be allowed to lock bikes to any public bike rack in the service at no cost.

Pay-as-you-go and month-to-month plans to be introduced, offering more convenience and flexibility.

Portland, OR: With Portland’s prime biking season underway, BIKETOWN announced significant new changes to make it even more simple and affordable to explore the city by bike. Among the changes are new pricing options, a service area expansion and making it free for BIKETOWN annual members to lock at any public rack in the system.

“We are excited to expand to even more neighborhoods and introduce new pricing options that will be intuitive and budget-friendly for Portland residents and visitors alike,” said BIKETOWN General Manager Dorothy Mitchell. “These changes will make it even easier for people in Portland to enjoy the convenience and fun of bike share this summer.”

Starting June 1, BIKETOWN memberships will cost just $99 upfront for a full year of unlimited rides. A new pay-as-you-go plan will cost a one-time $5 sign-up fee and only $0.08 for each min after that. BIKETOWN is also introducing a new month-to-month plan of $19 each month for people who want to use BIKETOWN regularly without commiting to an annual membership.

These pricing changes come as the BIKETOWN service area’s eastern border expands to serve east side Portland neighborhoods along the 50s Bikeway including Grant Park, Creston-Kenilworth, Laurelhurst, Beaumont-Wilshire, Cully, and Hollywood -- an area in which residents had been particularly calling for service.

The Community Cycling Center, which supports the Cully active transportation group Andando en Bicicletas en Cully (ABC), was “overjoyed” for the expansion. “Adding the option of bike share near the Hacienda CDC community addresses barriers the ABC group has long identified, including start-up costs, storage, and maintenance,” said Jonnie Ling, Director of Programs and Enterprise at the Community Cycling Center.

Following a successful May pilot, BIKETOWN members on an annual plan will be allowed to lock a bike to any public bike rack in the entire service area for free. Additionally, approximately 22 city bike corrals in the expansion area will be designated as “Community Corrals,” which function like BIKETOWN stations as free places to lock up for pay-as-you-go and monthly riders.

New to the Pay as You Go plan is the option to check out up to four bikes on one account. Current BIKETOWN members will receive an email on June 1 with instructions for how they can upgrade their plan.

BIKETOWN previously cost $144 for an annual membership or $2.50 for a single ride with an additional $0.10/min for all rides over 90 minutes. All single ride members will automatically convert to members of the Pay as You Go plan (with the sign-up fee waived), while annual and group members can choose to stay on their existing plans. BIKETOWN for All members will continue to pay just $3/month and incur no additional fees.

Launching in July 2016, orange BIKETOWN bikes are now a key part of bicycling culture in Portland, the city with the highest bike commute rate among major U.S. cities. Over the last two years, BIKETOWN riders have logged over 617,000 trips and 1,250,000 miles. Survey data shows that 25% of trips are replacing auto trips among local residents, helping to reduce Portland’s congestion and carbon emissions.

ABOUT BIKETOWN:

BIKETOWN is Portland’s bike share system with 1,000 bikes available in every quadrant of the city. BIKETOWN is a partnership between the City of Portland’s Bureau of Transportation and Nike, the program’s founding and title partner. BIKETOWN is operated by Motivate. It uses innovative new “smart bikes” which make it easy to find, rent and park a BIKETOWN bike. BIKETOWN is designed to be affordable and accessible, encouraging even more Portlanders to ride and allowing visitors to experience the city by bike. Portland joins other Motivate operated US cities, including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Boston and the Bay Area that have popular, safe and successful bike share systems. biketownpdx.com

ABOUT PBOT:

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the City’s transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility. Learn more at www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation.

ABOUT NIKE:

Nike believes in the power of sport and physical activity to help strengthen communities. As a longtime partner with the City of Portland, BIKETOWN highlights the company’s commitment to make Portland even more active, vibrant and innovative. As part of this collaboration, Nike designed the innovative visual identity for the program’s standard bike which is the highly identifiable orange that is synonymous with the brand. In addition, Nike oversees the design and branding of the system’s logo, stations and physical presence, as well as a select number of limited edition bike wrap designs, including: the Nike Air Max 95, Nike Air Trainer 1 and Nike Air Safari, BETRUE and five neighborhood designs resulting from the BIKETOWN Design Challenge.

ABOUT MOTIVATE:

Motivate is the largest bike share operator in North America, with systems in the densest urban centers including New York (Citi Bike), Chicago (Divvy), Boston (Hubway), Washington D.C (Capital Bikeshare) and the Bay Area (Ford GoBike). Motivate works alongside cities to provide efficient, equitable and safe systems using a full range of bike share solutions and best-in-class operations. As a vertically integrated company, Motivate is leading the design and deployment of the next generation of bike share technology. The company is led by a group of urban visionaries, creative leaders and technology innovators, revolutionizing the landscape and sustainability of cities and urban transit. Learn more at www.motivateco.com.